Clinical Nutrition student Lauren te Velde Twigge was awarded the Global Sustainable Nutrition Affairs and Research Internship with the National Dairy Council (NDC).

During the 10-week, full-time, paid summer internship in Chicago, Ms. te Velde Twigge is charged with helping the NDC integrate existing knowledge of nutrition, sustainability, and the dairy industry and identify future areas for research, education, and engagement.

Ms. te Velde Twigge grew up on a large commercial dairy farm in California and received a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Texas A&M University with a minor in agricultural economics.

As I progressed through my undergraduate degree, I found myself drawn to the inextricable link between the agriculture industry and human nutrition, Ms. te Velde Twigge said. My goal is to find a career in the dairy industry as a registered dietitian, and the internship with NDC has been an amazing opportunity and experience for me.

Her main projects with the NDC focus on sustainable nutrition, and she also supports organizations that repurpose surplus food into nutritious meals for the community. In the future, Ms. te Velde Twigge hopes to increase consumers’ trust in the dairy industry and show that dairy foods such as milk, cheese, and yogurt are an integral part of a healthy and sustainable diet.